EMBRACE Team
Principal Investigator - Örebro University, University of Coimbra
Inês Trindade is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the EMBRACE Lab, Associate Senior Lecturer at Örebro University, and Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra. Her research and teaching focuses on contextual behavioural science (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, compassion-based interventions) and health psychology topics, in particular, psycho-gastroenterology and psycho-oncology. Inês’ research interests relate to the determinants of psychological and physical health/illness, and to the development and evaluation of face-to-face and digital interventions aiming to improve quality of life and psychosocial functioning, among other health outcomes. She is currently the PI of several multidisciplinary research projects being conducted in Sweden and Portugal. She also serves as Associate Editor for the British Journal of Health Psychology and the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.
Inês was born and raised in Coimbra (Portugal), where she completed her BSc in Psychological Sciences (2011), MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology (2013), and PhD in Clinical Psychology at CINEICC (University of Coimbra; 2018), at the time led by Prof. José Pinto-Gouveia. In Portugal, she also earned specialist certification as a clinical and health psychologist (2019) and acquired her first project grants as PI. She moved to Sweden in 2021 to pursue a Postdoc with Prof. Magnus Simrén, at the Institute of Medicine of the University of Gothenburg.
An amateurish dancer and retired keyboardist, her other favorite hobbies are writing and travelling. Her favorite place in the world is the southwest coast of Portugal. She misses the Atlantic ocean tremendously but finds consolation in Sweden’s west coast and infinite lakes.
Inês Trindade, PhD
Research Assistant - University of Coimbra
Andreia Soares is a Research Assistant at the EMBRACE Lab and a Collaborative Member of the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioural Intervention (Coimbra, Portugal). She is currently performing field research tasks (e.g. recruitment, screening, psychological interventions implementation, data collection and analysis, reporting, publishing) in the Mind project, while developing her own research project about adaptation to idiopathic scoliosis (Adapt_ISco(o)l). She also collaborates with the Department of Psychology and Education of University of Beira Interior (Covilhã, Portugal) as an Invited Assistant Professor. Her research interests comprise: 1. psychological adjustment to chronic disease (cancer, idiopathic scoliosis); 2. health promotion (health promoting settings or interventions programmes), 3. life events and lifetime transitions (e.g., education-related events/transitions, family-related events/transitions, health-related events/transitions).
Andreia was born and raised in Covilhã, a beautifully located city at the heart of Serra da Estrela (Portugal). By the age of 18, she moved to study at the University of Coimbra, where she completed her BSc in Psychological Sciences (2005), MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology (2007), and PhD in Educational Psychology (2020). Between the last two achievements, she had the opportunity to live and work abroad in Fribourg (Switzerland) and Norwich (United Kingdom) and gave birth to her beloved son.
In her spare time, she loves to perform fun outdoor activities for families, watch thrilling TV series/movies, and to recall a few Latin-American dance moves from her previous classes.
Andreia Soares, PhD
Research Assistant - Örebro University
Michaela is a medical doctor (University of Gothenburg) and Research Assistant. She works mostly within the iACTforDGBI project. She was born and raised in a small town called Uddevalla located on Sweden’s beautiful west coast. Before joining the team, Michaela worked as an Amanuens at the Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg. That’s where she and Inês first met while working together on a study investigating the long-term effects of gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS patients.
If you are looking for Michaela in her leisure time, you will most likely find her sweating in a gym class, running around in the forest, or (being a former yogi) bending herself into questionable positions (the goal is to be able to do the splits for at least 50 more years).
Michaela Blomqvist Storm, MD
Amanuens - Örebro University
Agnes grew up in the small town of Falun and is now a psychology student at Örebro University, working as an Amanuens within the iACTforDGBI project. She’s almost always been curious about people, relationships, and behaviour, and the more one learns, the more there is to discover; it is almost poetic. Working with and developing this project relates well to her ongoing interest in the complex relationship between body and mind and curiosity for research.
Before her studies, she worked for several years as a tourist guide, and has a quiet love for cultural history. Theatre was also a part of her life, especially in high school, which sparked an interest in exploring human behaviour further. She has lived in Tanzania and loves experiencing new cultures and contexts with a longing for more travel. Lastly and maybe also unexpectedly, during winter seasons, you shouldn’t be surprised to find her on the sofa, fully absorbed in a cross-country skiing race.
Agnes Sedelius
MSc student - University of Coimbra
Marta Graça is a Master's student in Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Coimbra. She is currently collaborating on the Mind project, a natural extension of both her academic path and personal experiences, which have consistently been guided by a strong interest in Health Psychology. This is a field she sees as essential in bridging psychological care with adaptation across different life stages.
Marta moved to Coimbra in 2024, driven by the desire to embrace new experiences, explore different realities, and connect with new people. For that reason, she rarely turns down an invitation to visit a garden, a museum, or join a group gathering.
Her main interest lies in understanding how emotional suffering manifests in real-life contexts, and in developing interventions that promote safety, autonomy, and compassion. Outside of academia, she values socially impactful work, active listening, and spaces of connection that unite science, empathy, and community.
Marta Graça, BSc
MSc student - University of Coimbra
Thiago Moreno is currently attending the Master's in Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Coimbra. He has a special interest in Contextual Behavioural interventions and their potential to improve the mental health of people whose lives are affected by chronic diseases. Therefore, the collaboration with the Embrace Lab is a very exciting opportunity to explore those topics.
Born and raised in Cuiabá, Brazil, a city in the heart of South America, known among Brazilians for the torrid weather. He moved to Portugal in 2019, and has been exploring this charming country since then. Being a very curious person, he enjoys traveling, hiking, creative arts (cinephile and avid music enthusiast) and last but not least, he is fascinated by cats, being a proud tutor of one.
Thiago Moreno, BSc
Collaborators
Helena Moreira, PhD, University of Coimbra (PT)
Lance McCracken, PhD, Uppsala University (SE)
Cristiana Duarte, PhD, York St John University (UK)
Luziane Kirchner, PhD, Dom Bosco Catholic University (BR)
Sanna Nybacka, PhD, University of Gothenburg (SE)
Tom van Gils, MD PhD, University of Gothenburg (SE)
Sérgio Carvalho, PhD, University of Coimbra (PT)
Gisela Ringström, PhD, Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SE)
Magnus Simrén, MD PhD, University of Gothenburg (SE)
Hans Törnblom MD PhD, Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SE)
Sofie Jakobsson, PhD, University of Gothenburg (SE)
Filipa Sampaio, PhD, Uppsala University (SE)
Beatriz Henrique, MSc (PT
David Skvarc, PhD, Deakin University (AUS)
Alumni
Ana Pereira, MSc
Bruna Veloso, MSc
Benjamin Gürbüz
Diogo Carreiras, PhD
Helena Pinto, MSc
Joana Marta-Simões, PhD
Joana Pereira, PhD
Siri Störe, PhD